Iranian Female Artist Hanged Amid Uproar

(NEWSER) - Iran executed up to 30 people in the past month, mostly in public hangings, in a nationwide crackdown on murderers, sex offenders, drug traffickers, and other threats to "social security," reports the Observer. Human rights advocates say the sweep, also advertised as countering an alleged surge in US-backed plots to subvert the government, is intended to silence political activists. More»

State of Assam grows desperate to find its next executioner

(NEWSER) - An unusual job search began in India last month: The country of 1.2 billion is desperately seeking ... a hangman. The New York Times paints a fascinating picture of a country that is no stranger to grisly murders and honor killings, but one in which capital punishment is an extremely rare occurrence, where even prison officials will sometimes help prisoners draft appeals. About 50 people have been hanged since 1947, the last in 2004. But after one prisoner’s last-chance appeal was rejected, the state of Assam found itself in need of an executioner. More»

New tests reveal evidence flaw that went undetected in 1921

(NEWSER) - An Australian man hanged for raping and murdering a 12-year-old girl has been pardoned 86 years after his execution, Reuters reports. Hairs found in his bed that were said to belong to the victim weren’t hers, recent tests showed. The attorney general said the case was a warning against the use of the death penalty, which hasn't been imposed in Australia since 1967. More»